Bookies giving Dragons no love despite dominant win over Tigers

The St George Illawarra Dragons defeated the Wests Tiger in emphatic fashion on Friday night in the NRL, winning 56-14 in Wollongong.

Zac Lomax returned from State of Origin duties in a record-breaking performance for his club. Not only did the winger bag a hattrick, but he also kicked a perfect 10 from 10 to rack up 32 points. In doing so, he broke the record for the most points scored by a Dragons player in one match.

Despite St George Illawarra claiming their seventh win of the season, bookmakers still have them as rank outsiders to win the NRL Grand Final in 2024.

Brilliant Lomax leads Dragons rout of Tigers

Few would have picked a final score of 56-14 to the Dragons after the first quarter of Friday night’s clash.

The Tigers got off to a sharp start, crossing twice within the first 12 minutes. At the halfway point of the opening half, the score read 10-0 Tigers, with the visitors in control.

Even after leaking two quick tries soon after, Wests managed to bag another and take a 14-12 lead into half-time. That’s as good as it got for Benji Marshall’s men, however, as the Dragons put on a second half epic.

The effort was led by Lomax, who picked up two further tries in the second half. Add in seven more conversions and a penalty, and it was a brilliant night from the Blues’ star.

Bookies need to see more consistency

Last season, the Dragons were only able to manage five wins from their 24 games. Already in 2024, after just 13 matches, they’ve prevailed seven time.

Bookmakers still don’t think they’ve got a chance of doing any real damage this year though. Heading into the season, their odds to win the Grand Final at PlayUp were +10000. Now, at the halfway point of the season, they still sit at +10000.

Clearly, the oddsmakers need to see a little more consistency from the team before they’ll take them seriously. With the Sea Eagles, Dolphins and Roosters—all top eight sides or there abouts—coming up in the next three rounds, the Dragons have a chance to prove themselves.

Win these three, and we should start to see the odds shift for a St George Illawarra Premiership this year.

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